Exit security

Abstract

The present invention generally provides an exit security approach. Specifically, among other things, under the present invention: an item image for at least one of a set of items at a shopping checkout station is received; a receipt corresponding to the set of items is received; a first receptacle image of a shopping receptacle holding the set of items is received; a second receptacle image of the shopping receptacle is received; an integrity of the receipt is verified; the first receptacle image is compared to the second receptacle image; and it is determined whether a discrepancy exists based on at least one of the verification of the receipt and the comparison of the first receptacle image to the second receptacle image.

1 . An exit security method, comprising:
 receiving an item image for at least one of a set of items at a shopping checkout station;   providing a receipt corresponding to the set of items;   receiving a first receptacle image of a shopping receptacle holding the set of items;   receiving a second receptacle image of the shopping receptacle;   verifying an integrity of the receipt;   comparing the first receptacle image to the second receptacle image; and   determining whether a discrepancy exists based on at least one of the verifying and the comparing.   
   
   
       2 . The exit security method of  claim 1 , further comprising raising an alarm if the discrepancy exists. 
   
   
       3 . The exit security method of  claim 1 , the first receptacle image being captured at the checkout station, and the second receptacle image being captured away from the checkout station. 
   
   
       4 . The exit security method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a scan of a barcode for each of the set of items;   determining an identity of each of the set of items from the barcode; and   the verifying comprising determining whether the identity of the at least one of the set of items is consistent with an appearance of the at least one of the set of items, the appearance of the at least one of the set of items being based on the item image.   
   
   
       5 . The exit security method of  claim 1 , the receipt having a timestamp encoded, unique machine readable identifier, and the verifying being based on the timestamp encoded, unique machine readable identifier. 
   
   
       6 . The exit security method of  claim 1 , the at least one of the set of items each having a value above a minimum value threshold, the minimum value threshold being adjustable. 
   
   
       7 . The exit security method of  claim 1 , further comprising tracking the shopping receptacle from the shopping checkout station to the exit. 
   
   
       8 . An exit security system, comprising:
 a module for receiving an item image for at least one of a set of items at a shopping checkout station;   a module for providing a receipt corresponding to the set of items;   a module for receiving a first receptacle image of a shopping receptacle holding the set of items;   a module for receiving a second receptacle image of the shopping receptacle;   a module for verifying an integrity of the receipt;   a module for comparing the first receptacle image to the second receptacle image; and   a module for determining whether a discrepancy exists based on at least one of the verification of the receipt and the comparison of the first receptacle image to the second receptacle image.   
   
   
       9 . The exit security system of  claim 8 , further comprising a module for raising an alarm if the discrepancy exists. 
   
   
       10 . The exit security system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a module for receiving a scan of a barcode for each of the set of items;   a module for determining an identity of each of the set of items from the barcode; and   the module for verifying being configured to determine whether the identity of the at least one of the set of items is consistent with an appearance of the at least one of the set of items, the appearance of the at least one of the set of items being based on the item image.   
   
   
       11 . The exit security method of  claim 8 , the receipt having a timestamp encoded, unique machine readable identifier, and the module for verifying being configured to verify the integrity of the receipt based on the timestamp encoded, unique machine readable identifier. 
   
   
       12 . The exit security system of  claim 8 , the set of items each having a value above a minimum value threshold, the minimum value threshold being adjustable. 
   
   
       13 . The exit security system of  claim 8 , further comprising a module for tracking the shopping receptacle from the shopping checkout station to the exit. 
   
   
       14 . At least one computer readable medium containing at least one program product for providing shopping exit security, the at least one computer readable medium comprising program code for causing at least one computer system to:
 receive an item image for at least one of a set of items at a shopping checkout station;   provide a receipt corresponding to the set of items;   receive a first receptacle image of a shopping receptacle holding the set of items;   receive a second receptacle image of the shopping receptacle;   verify an integrity of the receipt;   compare the first receptacle image to the second receptacle image; and   determine whether a discrepancy exists based on at least one of the verification of the receipt and the comparison of the first receptacle image to the second receptacle image.   
   
   
       15 . The at least one computer readable medium containing the at least one program product of  claim 14 , the at least one computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the at least one computer system to raise an alarm if the discrepancy exists. 
   
   
       16 . The at least one computer readable medium containing the at least one program product of  claim 14 , the at least one computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the at least one computer system to:
 receive a scan of a barcode for each of the set of items;   determine an identity of each of the set of items from the barcode; and   determine whether the identity of the at least one of the set of items is consistent with an appearance of the at least one of the set of items, the appearance of the at least one of the set of items being based on the item image.   
   
   
       17 . The at least one computer readable medium containing the at least one program product of  claim 14 , the receipt having a timestamp encoded, unique machine readable identifier, and the at least one computer readable medium further comprising program code for causing the at least one computer system to verify the integrity of the receipt based on the timestamp encoded, unique machine readable identifier. 
   
   
       18 . The at least one computer readable medium containing the at least one program product of  claim 14 , the set of items each having a value above a minimum value threshold, the minimum value threshold being adjustable. 
   
   
       19 . The at least one computer readable medium containing the at least one program product of  claim 14 , the at least one computer readable medium further comprising program code for tracking the shopping receptacle from the shopping checkout station to the exit. 
   
   
       20 . A method for deploying a system for shopping exit security comprising:
 deploying a computer infrastructure being operable to:
 receive an item image for at least one of a set of items at a shopping checkout station; 
 provide a receipt corresponding to the set of items; 
 receive a first receptacle image of a shopping receptacle holding the set of items; 
 receive a second receptacle image of the shopping receptacle; 
 verify an integrity of the receipt; 
 compare the first receptacle image to the second receptacle image; and 
 determine whether a discrepancy exists based on at least one of the verification of the receipt and the comparison of the first receptacle image to the second receptacle image.